[Diffuse gastric cancer associated with Ménétrier's disease].

BACKGROUND

Ménétrier's disease is a rare disease of the stomach generally described as hypertrophic gastropathy. Its etiology is unknown and its malignant potential is controversial. Only a few reports supporting its association with gastric cancer have been found. We present a case of gastric cancer associated with Ménétrier's disease.

METHODS

We present a 72 year-old-male with epigastric pain and early satiety during the last 5 months. He had been treated with proton pump inhibitors with unfavorable response and began with loss of weight and asthenia. An upper digestive endoscopy showed an erythematous nodular gastric mucosa, with enlarged folds. An abdominal CT scan demonstrated a circumferential parietal thickening of the gastric wall and adenopathies. A gastric macrobiopsy done by endoscopic mucosal resection evidenced a mucin infiltrating adenocarcinoma with invasion of the lamina propria. Subtotal gastrectomy was done. The histology showed a stomach with changes compatible with Ménétrier's disease and diffuse infiltration by a highly undifferentiated adenocarcinoma (plastic linitis).

CONCLUSIONS

A patient with diffuse gastric adenocarcinoma and Ménétrier's disease is reported.